twenty two
by mellomarie
Summary: -SasuSaku- Sakura will wait for Sasuke because she knows the distinction between can't and won't. So she wishes on the stars, the same number of his scars, and hopes that her wait is worth it.


**twenty-two**

A familiar black was dancing in the line of her vision. She could barely see the sound-nin, his figure fading out. She squinted, her hand clenching around her kunai, making her knuckles white. She was going to collapse soon. She had to keep pushing. She couldn't possibly stop now. Not when she was so close.

Forcing chakra into her hand, she dashed towards the nin, her kunai held out threateningly in front of her. She felt her eyelids becoming heavier, the chakra in her fist about to disperse. She was chanting a familiar mantra in her head—_no, no, keep going, keep going_—but she knew what was happening. It always did.

The nin was maneuvering around her, avoiding her fist like the plague, but she needed to hit him soon. She needed to hit him before the last of her chakra left and there was nothing she could do.

In a desperate move, she dropped her kunai and grabbed a fistful of the back of his shirt. He was surprised, that much she could tell. His arm dashed by her head, his hands now squeezing her neck, but there was still chakra in her hand.

And it was much too late when he realized she was aiming for his gut.

She barely looked at him while he fell unconscious on the wet mud under him, his stomach now bleeding profusely. She put a dizzying hand on her neck, realizing that she was bleeding too. He must have cut her before she hit him. But she was much too tired to care. Much too tired to do anything about it.

She continued to stagger away from the nin's body, her eyes set on a tree up ahead. She continued to wobble, hardly able to see her surroundings. Her eyelids became heavier, everything was black and fading. She backed her head against the tree trunk, her body slumping onto the ground, a trail of blood left in her wake.

* * *

Sasuke's sandals crunched over the muddied trees and branches, his sharingan eyes deftly surveying his surroundings. It was still raining heavily, the trees' leaves bending permanently from the never-ending downpour. The forest was a few miles into Wave, eerily reminding Sasuke of the weather he had grown accustomed to during his first _real _genin mission. It left a bitter aftertaste, although his mind was now accustomed to seeing the flashing images of his teammates and sensei. It served to be an odd reassurance, something familiar. He hated it though; the memories, and the feelings that came with it.

He wasn't meant to reminisce of ties he had broken long ago. He was here for only one reason, and that was to finally avenge his clan.

Although the forest was deserted, he could smell fresh blood around him. He hardly had a keen sense of smell, but the stench of blood was overwhelming. He soon found the source of the smell.

He cursed silently to himself, realizing it was one of Orochimaru's henchmen. The nin's stomach was literally ripped open, a spiraling circle the only imprint on his skin. Sasuke could barely stand the stench of the blood, the rain hardly dampening it. He wondered why the nin had come so far away from Sound. Was it come after him? Sasuke wasn't a fool, he knew that after killing Orochimaru he would make new enemies, old 'comrades' who still held their ill-fated loyalties towards his former sensei.

At the very least, the nin was dead. He recognized his face, he was one of the few who usually guarded Orochimaru's quarters, and probably had an immense amount of information on him as well. The nin was an older man, hardly a few years younger than Orochimaru. He wondered who killed him. They certainly left a mess.

His eyes traveled further down the forest, his eyes focusing on trail of blood towards a large tree. He followed the trail, the stench of blood fresh, until his eyes met a familiar ghost of his past.

* * *

When Sakura's eyes slowly opened, she hadn't anticipated waking up in a deserted and damp cave, her breathing echoing against the stone walls. She shivered involuntarily, whether it was from the cold or fear, she wasn't sure.

Her eyes frantically searched around her, confusion the only mounting emotion settling in her chest. How did she get here? Where was the Sound-nin? Had she killed him? She flexed her hand, wondering whether or not she had enough chakra to give him the final blow.

A stinging pain alerted her towards her neck, her fingers meeting crusted blood. It was a fairly large gash, and still very much open. At least there wasn't anymore bleeding. She focused her gaze at the entrance of the cave, watching the rain continue to fall heavily. Who brought her here?

Suddenly, a dark looming figure began to emerge by the entrance of the cave. She felt her heart beat recklessly in her chest, her mind beginning to conjure up escape plans, most of which she knew wouldn't work. But it helped ease the racing of her chest, and throbbing fear pulsing through her body.

But as the figure came closer, she realized who it actually was, although that did nothing to cease the racing of her chest. But her heart wasn't racing from fear.

Perhaps from anger.

Perhaps from relief.

"Sasuke-kun? Why am I here?"

He was surprised she had awakened so soon, just about ten hours, he had thought that she would be out at least for a day. He eyed her coolly, surprised that she had the audacity to stare at him so directly. Last time they met, her eyes were narrowed angrily, and he could barely recognise her. He had thought he taught her a lesson, by the end of it. He was sure she'd be the first to never try to look at him _like that_ again.

Sasuke would later learn that his anger stemmed from the fact that she had gotten to him; just like on the night of their goodbye

Sakura wasn't astonished that he hadn't replied. He hardly gave her a word or two during their genin days, why would he say anything now…now that they had no bonds at all? But why did he bring her here? Why was she in a cave with him? The first thought that came to her mind was that he cared about her well-being, despite what happened between them. But that thought was also the least likely.

"Why did you bring me here?" Sakura asked again, her voice sounding hoarse.

She was still impulsive. Still asking stupid questions, "What do you think?"

He was doing it again. Evading her questions, and asking one himself. She felt her cheeks redden in irritation, thankful that the blood on her face probably hid it.

"You obviously didn't bring me here to kill me because you had a perfect opportunity while I was unconscious," Sakura replied stiffly, "I know you wouldn't waste time killing someone as _weak _as me."

He smirked, "You're right. I wouldn't. But you're probably aren't as weak as I thought if you were able to kill one of Orochimaru's most loyal subordinates. "

So she had killed him. The small amount of chakra she had left was enough, "Then why am I here?"

He was still standing by the entrance, his body looming over the small light from it. She wanted answers. Perhaps he didn't trust her enough to give him answers about himself…but this was regarding her own welfare, she had a right to know why he wanted to concern himself with his so-called 'broken ties'.

"I asked you a question, Sasuke-kun." Sakura felt his eyes on her face, probably surprised she had actually commanded something of him.

"It's only for precautionary reasons." He finally replied, "I want to know what business you had with that nin."

"And how does that concern you?" Sakura asked firmly, her eyes alighting with anger.

He walked towards her, and Sakura noticed that he was limping. She hadn't realized that he was now merely inches away from her, as she was too absorbed at the blood spilling from his leg.

"It concerns me more than you realize." He frowned, not particularly keen on her new found confidence. He needed to know what information she knew. It could derail his plans effectively if she inclined to share whatever she knew with Konoha. He didn't need unnecessary distractions.

"I have nothing to tell you." Sakura answered, "I could care less how much it concerns you. What makes you think I have any information? Aren't I weak and annoying? What information could I possibly know?"

It really wasn't what she said that bothered him, but how she said it. As if she wanted a challenge. _As if she could challenge him_. She was foolish to think that he would stoop low enough to be aggravated by a few words. Perhaps she had been weak, but he was not stupid. She had killed the nin, and as far as he was concerned, that made her a threat to his plans.

"Like I said, you aren't as weak as I remember." Sasuke eyed her carefully, "Why were you after him?"

"He was a threat to the village." Sakura answered, "Why else?"

Sasuke scoffed, "A lowly underling of Orochimaru…a threat to Konoha? Don't insult me."

Sakura tilted her head, her eyes taunting him, "Like you said, he was a lowly underling, and a threat our village. You couldn't have forgotten why you left. Konoha was too weak for you. Maybe you were right."

"What information did you get from him?" Sasuke asked angrily, "I'm not going to let you evade my plans…you can't stop me from killing Itachi…"

"If I had the power to do that," Sakura began, her eyes trained unwaveringly on his face, "Then it's a power I plan on keeping."

He slammed his hand behind her, his palm meeting the stone wall. He was breathing raggedly in front of her, his sharingan already activated and glaring scornfully in her face.

"Tell me what you know!"

He didn't see the familiar tears welling around her eyes. She hardly blinked, her face cold and motionless, her eyes meeting his evenly. He hated this. He hated what she was doing to him.

"What do you think I know, Sasuke?" Sakura whispered harshly, "You're afraid, aren't you?"

"Shut up!" Sasuke hissed, "You said you would do anything for me! You said that you'd help me! If you tell anybody what you know, I won't be able to kill Itachi. I won't be able to avenge my clan. This is how you can help me."

There was no reply. Just his ragged breathing between them. Just the eerie silence blanketing them. Just the ominous beating of his heart. He hated this. He hated being weak—especially in front of a person who he had called weak on more than one occasion.

"I remember telling you that. I remember saying how much I loved you." Sakura chuckled humorlessly, "And what did you do? Left me unconscious on a bench left to indulge with a few twisted words of…of what? I still don't know."

He frowned, "I was sincere when I said that, I may be a lot of things but I'm not a liar."

"I know you're not liar," Sakura replied, "But it still hurt. It hurt knowing that whatever I said meant absolutely nothing."

It _did _mean something though; Sasuke didn't know how to describe it, but knowing somebody cared about him unconditionally like that, it felt akin to the happiness that he felt when he was child—a feeling he stopped trying to recapture a long time ago.

"Let me heal your leg—it'll get infected if I don't treat it," Sakura murmured suddenly, eyeing his injury.

"You should heal your neck," Sasuke retorted deftly.

Sakura smiled softly, "I think that your injury is definitely worse than mine, Sasuke-kun. You don't have to put up a brave front, you know. Naruto isn't here."

He is surprised that she doesn't realise that the brave front was just as much for her as for Naruto. In some ways, the brave front was solely done to reassure her, to make her stop crying…

…to make her stop giving him _that look_ that evoked an inferiority in him that he despised.

* * *

She works quickly, efficiently. Her hands feel cool on his leg, and the close proximity feels slightly alien to him. It had been a long time since somebody's been this close to him without fighting, and he finds her company comfortable. It is a small moment Sasuke is willing to indulge in—a small moment where he allows the memories he tries to block take over him full force.

"I don't have any bandages," Sakura murmurs helplessly, staring at him.

He eyes the bandages around his arm and then begins to unwrap them. Sakura takes his hand, and suddenly, she's unwrapping it for him and he wonders why he isn't feeling invaded. He's never let anybody touch his injuries before—but this Sakura, she had a habit of interfering and he had a habit of allowing it.

He watches as her expression changes once she sees his scars, her eyes widening, her lips drying.

"I didn't let them touch my injuries—and it also didn't help that Kabuto was head medic." Sasuke explains flatly.

"You're suffering, though. It's hard to see your scars, Sasuke-kun. It hurts to know that you've been in pain all this time," Sakura says, her voice thick.

"It's a small price to pay for what I truly want. I don't mind a few scars as long as it brings me closer to him."

Then Sakura is healing his arms, her glow hardly waning, and he is unable to look away. He knows then that her heart doesn't make her weak, and that her strength lies in it as well.

* * *

It is raining outside, and Sakura knows that once the rain stops they'll be parting ways. She didn't think this mission would lead her to him; and when she first saw him, she was initially afraid. For her heart really, she was afraid of what he'd do to it.

The fire that Sasuke made is hardly keeping her warm, but she's still smiling. It seemed surreal that Sasuke was laying right beside her, and that she could still see the stars through the rain.

"Why did you kill that nin?" Sasuke asked, quietly, his hands folded underneath his head.

"To get information from him," Sakura answered, "about you. I promised Naruto I could do it; I told him he could trust me; that he could depend on me."

"Why are you two doing this? I've hurt you both."

"Because your Naruto's brother," Sakura replied honestly, "and because I love you."

Sasuke turned to face her, "I can't return your feelings; you and I have different paths now."

She reaches for his hand, and puts it against her chest. There were twenty-two scars on his arm, some long, and some old. She touches his wrist lightly, feeling a swell of pride because she removed some of his burdens, and perhaps, it had been replaced with a memory of her instead.

"I'll wait for you, Sasuke-kun." Sakura says earnestly, "It may be silly, but I've always held the distinction between you not being with me because you can't, and you not wanting to. You've always said the former, and it's given me hope."

Sasuke smiled, "You really are annoying, Sakura."

He squeezed her hand though, and he never once left her side that night.

And as Sakura watched the rain fade away, she wished on twenty-two stars.

**A/N:**

Yeah….another unfinished fic that I decided to complete. The time period of this fic may seem a bit iffy, but it's after Sasuke kills Orochimaru and after he meets team 7 again. It's definitely a bit different than most of my other Naruto stuff, I think I have some built-in angst thing :D

And sadly I couldn't add in Shino because a) I didn't realise the WIN he was when I first wrote this, and b) I just lack random-Shino adding skills.

FORGIVE ME.


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